The disappearance
by TADAHmon
Summary: My vision of The Magic Show. One of my two PG rated stories...


Hey, Arnold!: The disappearance.  
  
Yup, you guessed it, I own no part of Hey Arnold!... Maybe! Mauahahahahahahaha. My version of that one episode where Helga ran off, knocked herself out and had the dream where everyone celebrated her disappearance. Rated PG for possibly some upsetting scenes and drug dealers.  
  
  
Helga chuckled, and glanced around. She had to watch her back because she had chosen to pull a disappearing trick. Oh, it'd be grand! She smiled to herself. "Helga, ol' girl, you've outdone yourself this time." Arnold had done a magic show, and it was a total BUST! Finally, as a last resort, he asked for a person to come up and help him do his disappearing trick. All of the kids fueled her on, chanting, "Make Helga disappear! Make Helga disappear!" over and over. So Helga decided to do it, she got up on stage and entered the box, and Arnold closed it and a sheet that looked like the back of the box fell out in front of her. She got the idea then to really "disappear", and ran out from the back of the box, sneaking to the near-by sidewalk. As she watched through the hole in the fence, Arnold stated the "magic words" and opened the box, but... Alas! No one was in there! She watched smugly as he stuttered something about technical difficulties, and then ran off. She had decided that in order for this prank to go really well, she should run off and hide for a couple hours, days, or weeks. A grin passed over her face at the thought of being away from her house for two weeks. When she arrived at the edge of town, a frown passed over her face, but she knew she'd be ok. It was a very scary part of town, full of gangsters and thieves. As she walked around, looking for a safe alley, or something of the like, she listened to many shouts coming out of different apartment windows. She was starting to feel just a little uncomfortable, maybe even a tiny bit scared, and walked into the nearest alley, not even checking to see if anyone was in there.  
"Ah!! What are you doing in here? I thought you told me we would be alone in here!" A shady young man, only a few years older than Helga, yelled at the drug dealer as soon as he spotted her.  
"Well, I thought we would be," The drug dealer grumbled, standing up. "We'll have to take care of her..." He reached behind a broken down chair and produced a crowbar, then motioned at the teen to pick Helga, who was just watching all of this, shocked, up, so he could target her better.  
Before Helga realized what was happening, the teen picked her up and held her up to the drug dealer, who was a good 6'11''. The teen wasn't exactly short either, probably 6'5''. The teen closed his eyes. Helga could feel his breath on the back of her neck, and then felt a sharp pain in her head, and blacked out.  
  
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"Arnold?" Phoebe approached the anxious young boy as he paced, behind the stage. "I know where Helga is."  
"Really? Where?" Gerald and Sid heard this, and ran up to the two, wanting to know, as well.  
"Well, uh, I was watching closely, and saw Helga sneak out of the back of the box, and she came here, then I saw her run to the sidewalk."  
Gerald slapped his hand over his face and groaned. "That is SO like Helga G. Pataki. Why didn't we figure it out?"  
Arnold was fuming, too, obviously, but he didn't say anything, and walked slowly onstage. "This has all been a prank. Helga screwed it up. We can't make her reappear because Helga ran off. You may go home now." He spoke very slowly and precisely because he was ticked and was trying very hard not to show it.  
"Well, gee willikers! I was expecting a sudden reappearance of Helga!" Stinky announced.  
"Oh, well. Come on, let's play baseball," Sid said, running off.  
"Yeah! Hey, wait, I want my money back!" Harold yelled.  
"Again, you did not pay, Harold!" Arnold snapped.  
"Well, fine," He grumbled, running off.  
"Ah, cool down, man, it is just Helga. You would expect it from her."  
"I know, she just really, really infuriates me."  
"Again, you read too much. Well, I'm going to play baseball. You coming?" Gerald asked.  
"No." Arnold sat down on the stage and stared at the disappearing box.  
"Ok, see ya, Man!"  
"See ya..." Arnold had forgotten that Phoebe was there, and jumped when she spoke.  
"I know you're mad at Helga, but she just does these things to get attention. You don't know how she is ignored at home and elsewhere."  
He glanced up at her, and then returned to staring at the box. "Well, if she wants attention, does she always have to taunt me, or screw up everything that I do?"  
Phoebe sighed loudly and started to leave. "I can't explain anything she does, Arnold, but what you know about her is just the cutting edge. She has many layers." She leaned against the fence, and sighed. "I hope you are ok, Helga..."  
  
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The next day, Arnold woke up and smiled. It's funny what a good, uninterrupted sleep could do you. Now he could get through the day with a smile yet again. Even if Helga taunted him a million times more, and threw double that amount of spitballs at him, he could handle it. He was in such a good mood, nothing could ruin it! As he got dressed, he hummed along with the jazz music. As he ate, the smile didn't leave his face.  
"Well, Arnold, you look happier than you did last night!" Phil commented.  
"Yes, yes! Much happier!" Mr. Hyunh agreed in his soft Japanese voice.  
"I feel much happier," Arnold admitted. "Maybe it was that dream I had last night," He thought, smiling a little wider. Although normally he'd feel naughty about feeling like this, he felt very lighthearted. I mean, it was only a dream. How much could come true? The dream was glorious, where Helga was no more. No, she hadn't died. She had moved away, or something, the dream was blurry in explainations, and his days were spent peacefully playing baseball and not being taunted and not having spitballs fill his uncontrollable yellow hair.  
After breakfast, he went out to wait for the bus, and Gerald was waiting for him. "Hey, Man! I got news! Helga is still 'disappeared'!"  
"Really?"  
"Yup! Phoebe called her house just a little earlier, and Mrs. Pataki said she hadn't seen Helga since yesterday afternoon."  
"Hmm. She's really taking this prank a little too far," Arnold thought, staring at Phoebe, who was standing just a few feet from them uncomfortably. "Oh, well!" He smiled again and climbed onto the bus, then paused at the sight of Helga's empty bus seat. Phoebe sat next to it, looking very lonely and out of place. He sighed and looked up at the roof of the bus, then sat down next to Gerald.  
The whole school day just dragged without Helga. Arnold couldn't believe it! He was waiting for a snappy remark, or for a barrage of spitballs, or to bump into her in the halls, but oh no. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and Arnold had to admit, to himself, at least, that he hoped Helga would be back in school by the next day. After school, the kids met for a game of baseball, and, odd enough, that dragged too without Helga, and this time, not just for Arnold, for all of the kids. They played half-heartedly. It ended in a tie, 2-2.  
"That was bad, man. I wonder what was holding us all down," Gerald mused as Arnold and he walked to the boarding house.  
"I think I know. We felt kinda lost without Helga."  
"Are you crazy, man?! If anything, that would help us."  
"Somehow, I think it didn't." When they arrived at the boarding house, they were surprised to see Phoebe waiting for them.  
"Arnold, I'm so worried about Helga. Somehow, I don't think even she would let it go so long." Tears glistened behind Phoebe's glasses, but she restrained them. "Please, help me look for her. Please?"  
Arnold glanced at Gerald, who sighed and nodded. "Sure, Phoebe. We'll help you."   
"Oh, thank you!" She gasped, suddenly hugging him tightly around the waist.  
"Ok, where do you think we should start to look?" Arnold asked, prying her fingers apart gently.  
  
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By seven o'clock that night, the three children had searched through every part of town except for the outskirts, which they wanted to avoid, being that it was the worst part of town. "I guess if we really wanna find her, we better search there," Gerald said wearily when Arnold mentioned it.  
"Oh, Gerald, thank you," Phoebe murmured, as if she wanted to suggest it, but didn't feel right doing so.  
The three walked to the nearest bus stop, and, after paying for the ride, they sat down, Arnold and Gerald in one seat, and Phoebe in another. She looked a little out of place, like on the bus to school, and Arnold felt sorry for her. "Her and Helga must be really close friends, considering it all... They'd have to be, for all that she must take from Helga..."  
As if she felt his eyes on her, Phoebe looked up and stared back at Arnold momentarily. In that moment, Arnold saw a sadness in her eyes that he couldn't believe. "Gee..." He was pondering this still when the bus arrived at the outskirts of town. The three stepped of the bus, and looked around. Numerous shady looking buildings hung in the almost-night sky, looking oddly like dark shadows with evil intentions, at least to Phoebe's overactive imagination. Rats scurried by, and she held in a scream. Although her fear wasn't as bad as Helga's, she didn't like rats. "I don't think Helga would be here. She'd run from the rats."  
"Let's just look. Who knows?" Arnold urged. "Let's all stay together, just in case."  
"Yes," Phoebe agreed. "Just in case..." The three walked up and down the stained streets, looking for Helga. They felt too uncertain about their surroundings to call for Helga, so they just kept a sharp eye out. "Should we look in alleys?" Phoebe suggested in a whisper.  
"Yes," Arnold nodded, glancing at the nearest one. Every time they passed one, they would stop long enough to glance down it, and then would continue on. There were some people in them that Arnold did not want to get within fifteen feet of. As they glanced down the fifth alley, Phoebe released a gasp and ran to it, then shakily stopped, a shocked look on her face.  
"What is it, Phoebe?" Gerald asked, as he and Arnold joined her. "Oh, glory be..."  
"Helga..." Arnold gasped.  
Phoebe started to cry, and wrapped her fingers over her mouth.  
Arnold neared Helga's still form, and then stopped. "We need to get help. NOW." A puddle of blood was under her head, and it was obvious that she was in desperate need of help.  
"We'll get it! You stay with her!" Gerald ordered, leading Phoebe away, knowing she didn't need to see her best friend like that.   
"Good gosh, Helga, how long have you been like this?" Arnold murmured, sitting down next to her. He didn't move her, because he knew it might worsen her condition, but he grabbed her hand and held it. "It'll be ok, Helga..." After checking for a pulse, he sighed, relieved that it was still vibrating in her wrist, however weak. Her blonde hair had been dyed red from the blood, and he looked around for clues. He had watched enough detective TV shows to know not to touch it, but when he noticed a blood covered crowbar, he was certain that it was the weapon. "Oh, Helga... This was the biggest mistake of your life..."  
It seemed like her eyes fluttered open then, and she turned her head towards him. "Arnold..."  
"Helga?" He clasped her hand tighter, and stared at her. "Don't move. You need help."  
"I'm sorry, Football Head. I shouldn't have wanted to ruin your magic show..." She ignored his last statement.  
He blinked. "It's ok, Helga. I don't care. You just don't talk or move, ok? Please?"  
She groaned and nodded her head. After closing her eyes, she didn't move again.  
After looking her over, the firemen that had arrived first decided her blood pressure was very low; when the ambulance arrived, and the attendants ran out and started work on her, they took her blood pressure, and heart rate, and then got the gurney out. "Ok, are you ready? One... Two... Three!" The one female attendant grunted, picking Helga up carefully from the shoulders, as the other female attendant picked her up from the feet. They quickly put her on the gurney, and then rolled her into the ambulance. "We'll call your families and they'll meet you at the fire station, ok? Oh. Does anyone know Miss Pataki's family?"  
"Yes," Phoebe spoke up haltingly. "Bob and Miriam Pataki. 555-3935."  
"Ok, thank you," The first attendant commented, then ran back to the ambulance.  
The three nine year olds watched as the ambulance containing Helga G. Pataki zoomed away with the sirens blaring and lights flashing.  
  
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The next day, during lunch, Arnold and Gerald sat at their table, not talking or anything, just watching kids walk by. Phoebe wasn't at school, and neither was Helga, of course. "Arnold, man, I never want to see what I saw yesterday again," Gerald broke the silence finally, about five minutes before lunch period was over.  
"Yeah, same here," He answered dully, staring straight ahead.  
"Are you going to the hospital after school?"  
"Yes. Are you?"  
"Sure, man, I'll go with you."  
Arnold knew that Gerald didn't like Helga very much, but that even he didn't want anything serious to happen to the blonde bully. "Ok. Well, lunch is almost over... I'm going to the library."  
"Ok, man, see ya later."  
"See ya."  
  
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"Arnold, Gerald, hello," Phoebe greeted them with tears in her eyes.   
"Is she...?" Arnold inquired, taking the tears in her eyes the wrong way.  
"Oh, no. I'm sorry." Embarrassed, the young girl wiped her eyes and sighed. "I... Well, she's in a coma, and I'm a mess. That's all."  
Arnold nodded. "Can we go visit her?"  
"Just for a short time..."  
"Ok." Arnold glanced over at Gerald, who motioned at him to go on in. "Thanks," He mouthed and walked into the hospital room. A heart monitor and I.V.s were connected to her chest and upper arms, and tubes entered her nose, pushing air into her. He blinked a little and looked away. White gauze was wrapped around her head. "Oh, man, Helga..." He finally gulped and walked over to her, then clasped her left hand. He felt disturbed from staring at her so he watched the heart monitor for a couple of minutes. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders, since now it wasn't restrained in the ponytails. He reached out and felt her hair. It was soft and silky, despite everything Helga had gone through. It surprised him; he had never really seen her out of the ponytails, so he didn't know that she had such long hair. After a few minutes more had passed, he rested her hand back on the bed and slowly walked back out into the halls.   
Gerald and Phoebe were still waiting for him, and the Patakis had arrived in that time, too. Even Olga was there, too.  
"Oh, my poor baby sister!" She wailed, as Big Bob tried to shush her up.  
Arnold rolled his eyes. THIS was Helga's sister? Helga the bully's sister? Boy, oh, boy. What happened to the genetic line there? He didn't really know Olga too well, but he knew that the two were exact opposites and that Helga, for some reason, didn't like her sister.   
"How is she, man?" Gerald asked as they were leaving the hospital.  
"Well, comatose… I wonder how it feels to be in a coma," Arnold answered half-heartedly, his mind on other things.  
"Don't ask me, man! I've never been."  
"Be glad of that. Well, I'm gonna go back to the boarding house. See ya."  
"Ok, man, see ya," Gerald answered, watching as his best friend slowly crossed the street.  
  
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A couple of days later, Phoebe had to return to school. There was no change in Helga's condition, and all though the Hyerdhals knew how Phoebe wanted to be by her best friend's side all the time, they also knew that if she didn't go to school, she'd have an awful time with catching up. "Phoebe, dear, time for school!" Reba yelled suddenly.  
"Ok, Mother!" Phoebe answered, slowly walking into the kitchen. Her eyes looked red and slightly puffy, but her parents didn't say anything.   
"Here is your lunch, ok? Have a good day at school, dear." Reba smiled somewhat wistfully at her, and gave her a hug.   
"Ok, Mom. Bye," She answered, running out of the house. When she arrived at school, all of the fourth graders were sitting on the steps, waiting for the bell to ring.  
"Well, gee willikers! It's Phoebe!" Stinky was the first to notice her.  
"How is Helga?" Sheena inquired, as the kids surrounded Phoebe.  
"She's still in the coma," Phoebe murmured, then cleared her throat. She didn't like this attention too much… It would've been easier to handle if her best friend was there with her.  
"Oh." A few of the kids looked disappointed at the news, but some, like Rhonda, seemed to not care.  
Luckily for Phoebe, the bell rang then, saving her from more attention. Only Arnold and Gerald hung around, watching the other kids run into school, not wanting to be late. Arnold felt sorry for Phoebe, she looked so lonely without Helga. It was weird, that Helga was Phoebe's closest friend. Phoebe was nice enough that she could have a few more friends, but instead she chose to be the bully's best friend.  
"Come on, or we'll be late," Gerald announced, waking his friend from his thoughts.  
"Ok. Phoebe, you coming?" He asked, glancing back at the young Japanese girl.  
"Yes," She nodded and walked into the school, five steps behind Arnold and Gerald.  
  
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"When are you going to wake up from this?" It was later in that afternoon, and Arnold had gone back to the hospital for the second time. He couldn't stand to see anyone like that, not responding and looking as if they were on their deathbed. He loved to help people, and right here and now, he felt very helpless… "Come on, Helga, you can't stay like this." He wanted her to wake up so very bad… Even if she would call him Football Head and Hairboy. Sure, he hated those names, but he almost missed her attitude and everything. Although she was one of the worst bullies at P.S. 118, she did make things around that school interesting. He shook his head. "What am I thinking of? Just wake up, Helga." He sighed and left the intensive care room. They were going to move her to a private room tomorrow; being that she was stable, she didn't need to be in I.C. anymore. Actually, her prognosis looked very good. Her head injury had nearly healed, and it seemed like she had no brain trauma. So now they just had to wait for her to wake up.   
Bob and Miriam had left earlier that morning, but Olga was still sitting in the waiting room, silently reading a book. Bob had to check on some things at the Beeper Emporium, and Miriam claimed that she needed to check on things at the house, but it had already been about six hours since they left at nine a.m., so Arnold was sure they found other things to do that were more important to them than Helga. He was surprised to find that they didn't really care too much for Helga. Sure, he had heard things she had said, and heard different stories and rumors about the Pataki family, but he either thought she was over-exaggerating, or chose not to believe what he heard. Now though, he knew better. Unlike Olga, who spent most of her free time at the hospital, the older Patakis would only come in long enough to hear updates, maybe look in at Helga, and then leave. It made him oddly disgusted, to know that there were parents out there that were so uncaring to their kids.  
"Oh, you are Arnold, right?" Olga asked, putting her book down on her lap.  
"Yes." He felt slightly uncomfortable.  
"Well, uhm. I mean," She paused and sighed. "I heard that you were one of the ones who got Helga here."  
"Yes."   
"Thank you. Who knows what condition my baby sister would be in if it weren't for you?" She wiped at her eyes, trying not to start bawling again.  
He shrugged. "I'm just glad she's doing as good as she is." Olga sure was the odd one… He knew that Big Bob and Helga both were moody people that didn't show much emotion, but then Olga was a nice girl that had no problem in the emotion category. He didn't know much about Miriam though. Maybe the oldest daughter of Big Bob and Miriam got her attitude from her mom. He yawned and thought about returning to the boarding house, when Olga looked up at him.   
"Arnold, do you know much about my sister? I'm so busy with college, and she doesn't open up to me much at all."  
"No, Olga, I don't. She rarely opens up to any one. Maybe if you ask her best friend, Phoebe…"  
"Oh, you mean the little Japanese girl?"  
"Yes. She might be able to help you more than I could."  
"Well, ok," Olga nodded and watched as Arnold left the hospital without saying bye. "Well!" She murmured to herself, mimicking the tone she had heard so many actresses use when they are offended. "What a weird young man..."  
  
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A few days passed, and Helga's condition didn't get better, didn't worsen; it just remained... the same. By now, even Phoebe was starting to lose hope that the blonde bullyish girl would ever return to them, but she remained by her friend's side after school for as long as she could daily. It was so... surreal. Usually, Helga would be the one to strike up conversations, and now that she didn't, Phoebe couldn't think of anything to talk about. Generally, she would tell Helga something that happened at school that day, but for the most part, Phoebe would just sit next to her, holding her hand; the young girl usually fell asleep with her head laying on Helga's bed, her black bangs brushing against the other's hand. Since Helga wasn't in intensive care anymore, anyone could visit her for as long as they chose, as long as it wasn't after visiting hours. Olga, Phoebe and Arnold were her main visitors, although the latter had a troublesome time seeing her like that. Big Bob and Miriam only would come in once daily, sit with her for about ten minutes, and then leave. Once, Arnold was there when they arrived, and although they looked uncomfortable with him being there, they sat, and silently looked around. At the walls, the ceiling, the side of the bed, the floor, even the I.V. It almost seemed funny to him, although he had to wonder if the Patakis had this uncomfortableness with each other at home, with no one else around. He couldn't stand just watching them watch other things. They were such a pathetic excuse for a family. No wonder Helga was so messed up. When the Pataki family left, Arnold was glad. "Gee. Helga, I'm just glad my family isn't like yours…" He had gotten quite used to talking to her, even though he knew she wouldn't answer him. "Not that my family isn't dysfunctional, or anything. I mean, the boarders are sorta... different and all." He smiled a little, thinking of the family that he had known his whole life, and the parents he only knew of. That was the nice thing of being an optomist. He generally could wake up with a smile on his face; he wasn't an all the time optomist like Eugene, but that was because he accepted that everything can't turn out perfect. Eugene had a way of thinking that it "would all turn out right in the end" and although Arnold was sure that the red-headed jynx enjoyed his life this way, Arnold couldn't see living like that. As Harold said, it was just some little world Eugene could go into as soon as things turned bad. Finally, Arnold noticed that it was almost five, and he needed to go home for supper. "Bye, Helga..." After he left the room, it seemed that her eyes fluttered a little, but nothing more happened.  
  
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The next day, Arnold entered Mr. Simmons' classroom, and smiled at the familiar faces, then sat at the desk next to the empty one. He glanced wistfully over at it, and then faced the teacher again.  
"Well, my special students, I see we're still missing a very special part of our classroom," Mr. Simmons said in his special way.  
"The desks?" Harold asked dumbly, before remembering that he was sitting at one!  
"No, Harold." Mr. Simmons took a deep breath to hold in his temper.  
"Our lucky charms?" Eugene continued on with the stupidness.  
"Our pencils!" Harold tried again, not thinking of the one he was holding in his chubby hand.  
"No, no, no, no!" Mr. Simmons exclaimed, then took another breath. "I'm sorry. By missing something, I meant Helga Pataki."  
Most of the kids muttered and murmured, scoffing. Arnold, Phoebe and Gerald just looked down at their desks, the latter respectfully doing so for the Japanese girl's sake. He had no problem with Phoebe, she seemed nice enough, although he rarely got her alone to talk freely; Helga just was always around.  
"Well, gee willikers! Let's get school done with for today, Mr. Simmons, on account of it's a pretty nice day outside!" Stinky exclaimed, breaking the silence of the students and teacher.  
"Yes, Stinky... Of course." Mr. Simmons had been slightly surprised by the non-caring and almost hateful response that the students displayed just at Helga's name, so much so that he was speechless.  
  
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After school was finally over, Arnold, Phoebe and Gerald all walked towards the hospital. Since finding Helga in the alley, these three had become an odd group. Phoebe rarely talked, and that knocked Gerald and Arnold into silence as well, but when Arnold and Phoebe were planning to go to the hospital, Gerald would tag along. He didn't like hospitals either, but he felt sorry for the bully who was now unconcious because of older bullies. He and Arnold had deduced that it had to be a gangster or drug dealer, since they were so thick around the outskirts.  
A nurse greeted them with a smile. "Hello, you three. Here to see Helga again?" She was a very friendly soul, one that, if she was too busy for them, never acted like it. She knew them by name, and knew Helga, too, by name and because of things they had told her; she had a special place in her heart for comatose people, because, as she told the three nine year olds, her grandparents and mother all died while in a coma, "not that that will happen to Helga!" She'd add fiercely to try to encourage the three.  
"Hi, Nurse." She didn't like her last name or first, so she encouraged them to call her just plainly "Nurse". As she said, "When you're brought into this world, you can't pick your own name, and when you married, you're also stuck with your husband's last name; call me old fashioned, but I wouldn't marry and keep my maiden name."   
"Yes, we're here to see her," Arnold answered.  
"Ok." Nurse followed them into the room, and stared at Helga momentarily. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she wouldn't let them flow in front of the three friends of this blonde girl. "You have to wake up, so we can catch the men who did this to you..." She had heard of the news reports on it, where the police went back to the scene of the crime. They found the blood-covered crowbar, but it had no fingerprints on it, so the police speculated that the person/persons who hit her with it wore rubber gloves.  
Finally, Phoebe and Gerald both left two hours later, leaving Arnold alone with Helga. "Hi, it's just us two again," He whispered, holding her hand. "Helga... You have to wake up. I mean... I- Well... The kids at school miss you..."  
"You really are a bad liar, you know," She thought to herself as she floated in her comatose state.  
"Your parents and sisters miss you..."  
"Can't you be more creative, bucko?" She continued to think in time with his speech.  
"Phoebe misses you..."  
She did feel remorse at this one; her best friend had pleaded for her to wake up, as well, to seemingly deaf ears.  
"And... I miss you."  
She felt her heart beat faster, and knew that if she wasn't unconcious, she'd have fainted by now! "Augh, cruel fate, why must you leave me to stay in this dark place while my love talks to me from a far away world..." She thought. If this darkness around her had a body, it would be a bloody pulp laying on the ground right now. "I want to wake up! I need to wake up! Helga G. Pataki needs to return to raise a little..." And her thought was interrupted as her eyes suddenly opened slightly, and she looked at Arnold, but didn't move and didn't say anything as he stared at her.  
"Why don't you wake up, Helga?" He grumbled, then stood up, ready to leave.  
She waited patiently as he slowly walked over to the door that led into the hallway of the hospital, trembling somewhat, wanting it to be known that she was not comatose any more! As soon as his hand touched the doorknob, she opened her eyes as wide as possible, and murmured, "Football Head?" Her voice was weak and shaky, but he still heard her.  
"Helga!" He quickly turned around, and looked at her. As he walked back to the bed, his green eyes didn't move from her, as though he thought if he looked away, she'd slip back into the coma.  
"Hi, Football Head," She whispered, smiling a little.  
  
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A week later, Helga was released from the hospital, allowed to go back home. Two weeks after that, she returned to school. The day before that, however, she was taken to the police station, where she was able to point out the two that had done this to her.  
"You're sure?" The sergeant asked, just wanting to make sure.  
"Criminey... Yes. I remember these two like it was yesterday!" She snapped.  
"Ok. Lock 'em up!" He ordered. "We'll put you in your own nice little cells later on, with about ten other criminals who are alot like you," He told the drug dealer. "And you," He looked at the teen. "You're going to juvey!"  
"Aw, again?"   
"Yes." The two criminals glared at each other before the two deputies dragged them away.  
"I'm so proud of you, Baby Sister!" Olga exclaimed, hugging Helga gently.  
"Yada yada, well, let's get home, you two," Big Bob ordered.  
"Yes, Da-ad," The two chorused, then looked at each other, giggling a little. Amazingly, in the weeks that had passed, Olga and Helga had bonded and were getting along a little bit better; they still fought at times, but, like just then, they had some great times, too.  
So, anyhow, about Helga's first day at school after her little 'disappearance'....  
"Now our special little classroom is completed, again!" Mr Simmons exclaimed when he saw her waiting slightly nervously in the doorway. "Come in, Helga!"  
"Some things never change," She thought, smiling a little. "Ok." Acting oddly shy, she sat down in the seat behind Arnold and next to Phoebe, like usual, and took her books out. "Heh..." She pulled out her spitwad shooter and rolled a piece of paper around in her mouth, then shot it out at Arnold, hitting right beneath the blue hat that he always wore.  
He turned and glared at her momentarily, but when he turned back around, a smile was on his face. "Some things never change..."  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-   
  
Later on, at lunch, Phoebe and Helga sat at their table and Gerald and Arnold sat at their table. "Some things just never change, huh, man? I mean, it seems like you got hit with more spitwads than ever today!" Gerald exclaimed, picking at his lunch. "Yo, earth to Arnold!" Gerald waved his hand in front of Arnold's face, finally waking his friend up. "You're staring at Helga, man, and that is not good."  
"Oh, sorry, Gerald. I'm just glad that every thing turned out ok."  
"You and me both, man. You and me both..."  
  
THE END 


End file.
